The present invention relates generally to gaming systems and methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to gaming systems and methods wherein a player is able to wager against other players in a bonus game based upon strategy or skill.
Various mechanical and electronic gaming systems and their associated apparatus and methods of use are well known in the gaming industry. Slot machines have long been a significant part of the gaming industry and, now, video versions of slot machines are very popular.
Gaming establishments are continually searching for new games and gaming systems to keep the interest of players. Gaming establishments such as casinos are concerned that if players lose interest in a game, the gaming machine will sit idle and not contribute to the revenue of the casino. By developing new games, the gaming establishments hope to stimulate existing players' interests in continued wagering and to attract new players. In addition, players may tend to be more active and consistent in playing the gaming machines that have new games, thus enhancing the potential profit of the gaming machine.
To keep and increase players' interest in gaming, the gaming industry has added “bonus games” to many of its gaming machines, including reel and electronic slot machines. A bonus game is a secondary game that is typically activated when the player achieves a specific outcome in a primary game. For instance, the bonus game may be activated when the player receives a winning hand (in the case of a card game) or a specified combination of symbols (in the case of a reel-type game) as an outcome of the primary game being played. Bonus games appeal to players because the probability of receiving winning combinations after entry into the bonus game is, at least, greatly enhanced and, in most instances, some sort of winning outcome is guaranteed.
The bonus game is typically a different type of game than the primary game, which provides more excitement and variety for the player and helps to keep the player at the gaming machine for a longer period of time. However, the bonus game may also be the same type of game as the primary game, except that the bonus game has an increased potential for winning in comparison to the primary game.
In many cases, the bonus game is a singular event in that the play changes to the bonus game when the specific outcome is achieved in the primary game. The bonus game is then played to completion. Examples of this type of bonus game are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,823,874, 5,848,932, 5,882,261 and 6,089,978, all to Adams. Various embodiments as disclosed in the aforementioned patents include methods of playing games employing gaming machines as well as table games for play of primary games and at least one pay out indicator for a secondary or bonus game. The bonus game is independent of the primary game, but is enabled by selected outcomes in the primary game. One embodiment operates such that when the reels of the primary game produce a preselected outcome, the bonus game is enabled. In the bonus game, the player initiates the spin of a wheel or reel bearing a number of payout values, or initiates another bonus event such as a bowling-type or pinball-type payout indicator. When the bonus event is completed, the amount of the bonus payout is indicated. In the bonus games as disclosed in the aforementioned patents, the players are playing against the house and are not playing against one another.
Another example of a bonus game is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,976 to Schneider et al. In this design, the bonus game displays a multiplicity of images on a video monitor from which the player selects until achieving a pair of matched bonus awards.
In some cases, the bonus game is a more sequential event in that progressing through the bonus game is determined by continued play in the primary game. An example of this is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,384 to Barrie. In that design, the player can win the primary game on each play of the game, and the bonus game can be won over a plurality of plays of the primary game.
The bonus game may also be conducted through a plurality of networked games such that the bonus game might involve a plurality of individuals who have been wagering at the primary games. Some examples of bonus gaming include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,779,544, 5,664,998 and 5,560,603, all to Seelig et al. More particularly, some examples of bonus gaming including a plurality of networked primary gaming machines include U.S. Pat. No. 6,146,273 to Olsen, U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,982 to Piechowiak et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,876,284 to Acres et al.
In the above-mentioned bonus games, the player's odds of winning are based purely on chance because the games are configured so that the player has no opportunity to use skill to improve his or her odds. Stand-alone gaming machines based on skill, strategy, and/or knowledge are generally not used in the gaming industry because these games have several inherent problems. First, the player's level of skill may affect the percentage or net return that the gaming establishment or house expects to earn because the player's skill cannot be easily predicted. In contrast, the house's net return in games of chance can be statistically predicted because winning outcomes have certain odds of occurring and have fixed award values associated therewith. So long as individual gaming machines perform according to these statistics, the gaming establishment can accurately predict its net return. Second, if the house's net return is dependent on the player's skill, the house may attempt to impact its net return by influencing the payout in the bonus game. For example, the house may make a skill-based bonus game extremely hard to win, making its net return easier to predict. Third, as games depend more heavily on player's skill, there is a greater impact on the expected payback percentage for the skilled versus the unskilled or mediocre player, which may raise regulatory and fairness issues in many jurisdictions.
A level of skill is present to a small degree in video card games, such as poker and blackjack, because a skilled player can expect a larger payback than an unskilled player. However, even a skilled player's skill level will rarely yield an expected payback percentage in excess of 100%, over time. Furthermore, an acceptable skill level is fairly readily achieved by many players such that the unskilled player has a reasonable expected payback percentage.
As used herein, the term “skill-based bonus game” refers to a bonus game where an outcome, such as a predetermined goal, task, or objective, may be determined primarily by the level of skill of the player. Generally, the greater the player's skill, the more easily the player may achieve the desired outcome. Stated another way, the skill-based bonus game requires the player to utilize skill, strategy, or knowledge to affect the outcome of the game. Skill-based bonus games may include strategy games (i.e., chess, checkers, or bridge), puzzles (i.e., mazes, crosswords, or jigsaws), dexterity games requiring hand-eye coordination (i.e., flight simulators or sports games), or knowledge games (i.e., trivia games). The trivia games may comprise questions from a variety of subjects including, but not limited to, history, sports, movies, and geography.
One example where a skill- or knowledge-based game has been used in the gaming industry is U.S. Pat. No. 6,193,606 to Walker et al. In this gaming device, a player is presented with a trivia question while the reels of the slot machine are spinning. If the player correctly answers the question before the reels stop and achieves a winning outcome, the player receives a larger payout than if he had only received the winning outcome. The amount of the payout is determined by an enhanced payout table.
While the above-mentioned bonus games have been used in the gaming industry, improved gaming systems and methods are still needed to stimulate and maintain players' interests in gaming. Preferably, these improved gaming systems and methods would appeal to the player's competitive nature and introduce skill-based bonus games where the net return of the house is not impacted by the player's level of skill. Such a bonus game would increase the player's level of excitement by placing players in a competitive setting and would appeal to those players who prefer to compete in bonus games based, at least partially, upon their own level of skill or knowledge. The bonus game would also be advantageous to gaming establishments because it would allow them to provide skill-based bonus games while still being able to predict their net return.